Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Spendthrift Necromancer (17)

By morning, the frenzy had grown even hotter than it had been at dawn.

Naturally.

Now even the people who had gone to sleep without hearing the news had woken up to it.

At dawn, everyone had simply been going wild over the new record, but now things were different.―Whoa lol Isn't that the Black Heart Set? The gear those Skeletons are wearing is better than my full setup, fuck lol―How much does that stuff cost?―At least 30 mil per piece. Full set costs 200 mil lol And that's without the weapon lololol―That's insane;; So if there are 300 of them, that's at least 60 billion?―Yeah; Thought no way, but he really put that shit on Skeletons lol―(Info) Kim Minwoo has spent over 300 billion at the auction house so far.―……Not 30 billion but 300 billion?―ㅇㅅㅇ. 30 billion is just the commission lol Add up the equipment, consumables, elixirs, and Skill Books that all vanished in one shot and it's at least that much lol―Do you have to spend that much to become a super rookie? lololol―Even a country wouldn't support someone that hard, fuck lolololNow, how much he had spent had become an even hotter topic.

People often assumed Awakened were all filthy rich, but reality was a little different.

They spent as much as they earned.

More accurately, they often spent even more than they earned.

Skill Books, equipment, elixirs, potions, and more.

There were countless places for money to disappear.

That was why even famous Awakened often turned out to be broke once you looked closely. The structure demanded constant spending if you wanted to become stronger.

A suffocating consumption system.

Even so, no lunatic spent 300 billion won at Level 1.

Except Kim Minwoo, who had appeared like a comet today.[Breaking News! Famous overseas scouts rush into Korea! Recruitment war imminent? Kim Minwoo's market value estimated at over 1 trillion won!]―Hey lol Reporter, 1 trillion is way too much, isn't it?―Didn't you see the Skeleton soldiers Kim Minwoo summoned? 300 of them lol His potential is insane lol 1 trillion is reasonable lol―For real. He beat Isabella at Level 1, so that's the minimum lol His investment alone is 300 billion lol―Yeah and he still won't go even for 1 trillion lololol―For real lol He'd leave Korea where Ilseong is and become a foreigner? Maybe if they offered 10 trillion he'd think about it lol―10 trillion is still going too far lol But if I were Kim Minwoo, I don't think I'd leave for 1 trillion either lol His dad's the chairman lolUnlike usual, when people anxiously watched articles about overseas recruitment, this time they could comfortably laugh while reading.

They joked about 10 trillion, but maybe it really would take around that much just to make an attempt at recruiting him.

After all, Kim Minwoo's background was anything but ordinary.―(Breaking) Kim Minwoo opened a NewTube channel lolol―For real?―Yeah. Channel name is Wastrel(Mangnani) lolol―Holy shit. It's only been 20 minutes and he's already over 400k subscribers;;―Huh? Livestream notice just went up. Says he'll start when subscribers hit 2 million?―Look at him rowing while the tide's in lolol―I'm subscribing too lol500,000, 600,000, 700,000…….

The subscriber count began climbing like mad.* * *Strike while the iron is hot.

That saying fit perfectly.

Right now, while public interest was at its peak.

It was the best possible time to open a NewTube channel.

In just two hours, he'd reached two million subscribers.

He started a broadcast using his smartphone.[Live Viewers: 512,321]

“Nice to meet you. I'm Kim Minwoo.”―Whoa lol Is that your house? Why is it so huge lolol―That's crazier than chaebol houses in dramas lol Is this the first time his home's been shown?―Ilseong really is Ilseong…….―So what's today's broadcast about?700,000.900,000.

The viewer count shot upward terrifyingly fast.

Then the camera turned.

A kitchen packed with furniture.

“Cool, right? These are kitchen furnishings released by Ilseong. They run on mana stones, and their efficiency is excellent.”

Cedric, standing in front of the refrigerator, opened the door and gave a thumbs-up.―?―??―???―????―What? Is this an ad?―This is fucking insane lololol―What the hell is that Skeleton doing giving a thumbs-up lolololol“I've got some homework to get through too. Please understand.”―Ah lol I immediately understand why the channel name is like that lolol―Ads on the first stream? Holy shit, are you kidding?―Yeah, if you don't like it, leave. Plenty of people will watch without you lololol―Chat was lagging anyway from all the people. Nice job shaking out the ants lolol―Pest control broadcast from the start lololol“My house is quite large, so there's a lot to introduce. Shall we go on an adventure together today?”―(Translation) He's going to advertise every piece of furniture in his house today.―This is actually dizzying lolol―Yeah, not getting shaken out lol I'm watching until the end no matter what―Oppa you're so handsome haha I became a fan after seeing the news yesterday! Your voice is nice too haha“Hey, Cedric. Sit over there.”―Understood, Master.―?―??―???―????―Did that Skeleton just talk?―What is this? A ventriloquist Skeleton?

“How is it? Soft?”―I believe so.

“Not ‘I believe so.’ I told you to say it is.”―Master, a knight does not lie.

“Tsk, talking back again?”―……

Ilseong is the best. I love it.―What the hell am I watching? lololol―So what even is that Skeleton? So what even is that Skeleton? I'm asking for the 50th time.―Come to think of it, it looks a little different from normal Skeletons?―Was it summoned with his S-rank skill? That skill must have more than one effect.―Probably. Honestly, just summoning 300 Skeletons would've been a little underwhelming for an S-rank skill lol―Ah lol S-rank summons rare Skeletons too lol―But didn't he just call himself a knight? Was he a knight in his previous life or something?―Foreign worker Skeleton lololololPssht!

Minwoo opened a canned drink made by Ilseong, took a sip, and looked at the chat.

“His name is Cedric, and he's my minion. Say hello.”―……

I am Cedric. Greetings, humans.

That became the turning point, and the viewer count exploded.

It went from one million to three million almost instantly.

Some kind of breaking news must have gone up in real time.‘Well, works for me.’Might as well cram all the ads in now.

Exercise equipment, bedroom furniture, bathroom fixtures, air conditioners, mana-stone vehicles, computers, even Ilseong smartphones.

He introduced all sorts of products.

Ilseong made so many things that even the advertising took quite a while.

“Whew. That's most of the homework done.”―This is more watchable than I expected lol―Yeah. Him bantering with the Skeleton makes it easy to keep watching lololol―I need to replace my computer soon. Maybe I'll switch to Ilseong.―I'm thinking of replacing my fridge. Dorim is the king of appliances, but…… Ilseong's probably not bad either.

It was advertising, but the viewers' reactions weren't bad.

Partly because this was the first time anyone had seen the inside of his lavish home.

And partly because the existence of Cedric, a talking Skeleton, had completely captured their attention.

“Before ending the stream, shall we do a brief Q&A? If there are too many questions, it'll be hard to answer them, so…….”[Minimum donation for highlighted chat has been raised to 10 million won!]―?―??―???―????―10 million won?―Ah lol If you're broke, just lurk lolol―Someone will pay lol There are probably plenty of people dying of curiosity right now lolThat prediction was exactly right.[Han Ari donated 10 million won!]―Is Cedric one of the effects of your S-rank summoning skill?

“Yes.”[PpupPuBangYa donated 20 million won.]―How strong is he?

“Him? A bit stronger than an ordinary Skeleton.”[ShanghaiChicken donated 40 million won.]―Scouts came to Korea. Would you accept an offer of 1 trillion won?

“1 trillion? Why bother?”[Jemonia donated 10 million won.]―Do you plan on joining a guild?

“I don't know. I hate annoying things.”[BonelessChicken donated 10 million won.]―Have you decided which F-rank Gate you'll go to next?

“I'm thinking about it.”[Cho Ilhan donated 20 million won.]―An S-rank skill normally has three effects. Mass Skeleton summoning, summoning a talking Skeleton, what's the third one?

“Not telling.”[ShanghaiChicken donated 20 million won.]―What do you think of Necromancers?

“Don't do it if you're poor.”[ShanghaiChicken donated 30 million won.]―So if you have money, you can?

“If you're curious, try it.”

Then Minwoo clapped his hands.

“Time to end the stream. Next broadcast will be, well…… whenever. That's all for today.”

When he turned the broadcast off.[Breaking News! Talking Skeleton appears! Does this reveal new possibilities for Necromancers?][Breaking News! Kim Minwoo's first stream bombarded viewers with Ilseong product ads!][Breaking News! Kim Minwoo fires back at recruitment offers! 1 trillion? Nowhere near enough!][Breaking News! Kim Minwoo proves his star power! Livestream breaks 4 million viewers despite being packed with ads!]..

Articles were already pouring out everywhere.* * *He had said on stream that he was still thinking about it, but his next destination had already been decided.

Because he'd found a clue while smashing things apart in the Tomb of Osiris.‘There was a mural in a hidden room.’A painting of a savage gorilla.

Minwoo knew what it meant.‘Boss monster.’The E-rank Gate, Ulfawlu Forest.

The gorilla was the boss there.

“This feels really good.”

He was only looking for one jewel for a necklace, yet the difficulty had already jumped an entire rank.

What came next?

Naturally, like any chain quest, the difficulty would keep climbing.

If he got lucky, it might continue all the way to S-rank.‘Ulfawlu Forest is easy enough. I can just fake an ID and go.’Naturally, he had no intention of entering the Gate looking like this.

E-rank Gate monsters ranged roughly from Level 51 to 100.

Ulfawlu Forest had a clear difficulty of 90. Because of that high difficulty, its average monster level was extremely close to 100.

Clearing it wasn't the problem.

But if a Level 25 entered alone and swept the whole place clean?

He'd receive passionate love calls from assassination organizations around the world.

That was how demonic a growth rate it would look.

Of course he'd already thought of a solution.

This was Ilseong, king of Korean chaebols.

Faking the identity of a C- or D-rank Awakened was laughably easy, even if doing the same for an S or A would be harder.

He could disguise himself appropriately and enter the Gate.

Not Kim Minwoo, newly acknowledged super rookie, but D-rank Awakened Park Cheolwoong clearing an E-rank Gate.

So what?

Solo-clearing a Gate one rank below yourself was common. It wouldn't look strange at all.

“Lots to prepare.”

With such a big level gap, one sweep through Ulfawlu Forest should carry him past Level 51.

Starting with the next tier of elixirs he'd consume immediately.‘And I should get the next Skill Book to +9 too.’Summon Skeleton Mage.It was the next summoning skill available in the Level 51, E-rank Awakened range.

He intended to get this one to +9 before entering the Gate too.

That way, the moment he hit Level 51 in the forest, he could learn it immediately.

It was time to release all the frustration he'd built up from dragging only melee troops around.

Then there was the equipment for the Skeleton Mages.

Moving into the next level bracket meant there were countless things to spend money on.

One fortunate thing was.‘I got a lot of money.’By breaking the world record, he'd once again secured Chairman Kim's full support.

The amount alone was.‘1 trillion won.’A trillion.

That was why he'd gone all out advertising today, even revealing Cedric.

He had to earn his keep.